Seal-lock



E. MEISE.

SEAL LOCK.

(ModeL) No. 880,446. Patented Apr. 3, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

EDUAR-D METSE, OF PITTSBURG, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO GUSTAVE KAUFMAN, OF GEESSON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380.4%6, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed January i7, 1888. Serial No. 261.046. (ModeL) T 0 all 2072,0122, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDUARD ME1sE,ofPittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SealLocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to seallocks for freightcars, mail-bags, express-boxes, 850., its object being to provide a seal-lock which is cheap, simple in construction, durable, and capable of withstanding all means heretofore employed for tampering with such locks without destroying the seal.

Though many different constructions of seallocks have been devised, yet, though such locks are extremely desirable to prevent or detect tampering with the contents of the car or other inclosure sealed, they have not been very largely adopted, and have been discarded on some railroads, either because too complicated for use or because it was found that they could be tampered with and the in closure opened without the detection thereof by the breaking of the seal. In most forms of seal-locks, also, it has been found necessary to employ springs to operate the mechanism thereof, and these springs are affected by changes of temperature, or may be destroyed by acid, so permitting the opening of the lock. By my invention these objections are entirely overcome.

. Myinvention consists, generally stated, in a bow and a frangible seal-plate connecting the ends thereof, and so closing the bow and locking apparatus in one arm of the bow engaging with the seal-plate, whereby to open the lock it is only necessary to break the connecting-plate.

It also consists in providing this connectingplate with a stop and the bow with a block rotating in one direction and engaging with said stop, whereby the lock is sealed, and can only be opened by the breaking of the sealplate.

It also consists in certain other improvements, as hereinafter more specifically set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fignre l is a perspective View of the bow of my seal-lock without the connecting sealplate. Fig. 2 is a like view of the seal'plate; Fig. 3, a like view of the lock sealed. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central section of the bow and seal. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the line :0 :c, Fig. 4, showing the construction of the locking parts; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the locking-block.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The bow c of my seal-lock is formed of steel, cast-iron, or other suitable metal, so as to be strong anddurable and withstand the strain and jars to which it may be subjected when retaining the hasp in position, the bow having at the end of one arm, a, the grooves b, or other means of engagement with the seal, and at the end of the other arm, a, the locking apparatus. The seal 12 is formed of eastiron or other suitable frangible material, and is in its most approved form a flat plate having the forked ends r r to engage with the ends of the bow a, the forked end r slipping into the grooves I), while the forked end 1" engages with the looking apparatus at the other end, the seal-plate having also the stop-1n g 8 formed on its face, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The locking apparatus of the bow in its most approved form consists of a block, at, turning within a sleeve, 6, at the base of the arm a? of the bow. The sleeve 6 is generally formed of a separate piece from the bow, and passes over the same, being secured by a stud, f, carrying a ring, f, by which the bow may be secured to the body of the car or other in closure. In the sleevoeis formed the bearing 13 for the reception of the block d, the inner surface of this bearing being longitudinally corrugated or roughened, as shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 5. The shaft or journal portion of the block (2, fitting within the sleeve 6, is cut away on one side to form the cam-face k with the shoulder Z, and a cylindrical pin, in, fits within the space so formed between the bearing 1' and block-shaft journal c,th1s pin resting against the shoulder Zwhen the block is turned in one direction, and so permitting the block to be turned in that direction within the sleeve. In case, however, it is attempted to turn the block in the opposite direction the pin is forced by the cam-face it against the in terior of the bearing 1', and so jams between the bearing and block-journal and prevents the turning of the'block, the'corrugated or roughened interior surface of the bearing assisting in holding the pin and preventing its slipping around within the bearing.

Below the journal 0 is formed the annular shoulder c, fitting into a like recess at the base of the sleeve, and so protecting the journal, preventing access thereto. The locking-block has at the end thereof the locking-lugs d d which extend on opposite sides thereof to engage with the seal-plate p, the surface of the seal-lug d being tapered off to permit the seal to engage more easily with the grooves b in the arm a of the bow. The locking-block is secured in place in the sleeve 6 by the screw 0, which forms a flange extending over the bea ring, so permitting the turning ofthe block, the screw being concealed within the sleeve by the end of the arm a", which fits within the upper end of the sleeve, as above set forth.

The seal is secured in place in the following manner: After the how a is passed through the hasp, the forked end 1 of the seal is slipped into the grooves b, the lugs d d being turned in line with the forks r and the beveled face of the lug d, nearest the opposite arm of the bow, permitting the easy engagement of the forked end r with the slots b. The forked end 1 is then dropped over the lugs d d of the block d, and the block is then turned so that the lugs extend across the forked end 1 and the lug d comes in contact with the stop on the seal-plate, this stop preventing the further turning of the block. In case it is attempted to turn the block back, so as to bring the lugs in line with the forked end r of the seal, the pinl is forced up the cam'face 7c and at the same time held by the corrugated face of the bearing and the journal 0 and prevents the block from being turned back to remove the seal, the only means of removing-the seal being to break it. As the operative parts of the lock are entirely inclosed and surrounded by a heavy body of steel, they cannot be tampered with, and as no springs are employed the lock cannot be injured by exposure or changes of temperature and cannot be opened by the employment of acid, which would destroy the efficiency of any spring, the lock therefore being simple in construction and overcoming the necessity of keys, and also being strong and durable.

Any suitable letters, figures, or other mark can be placed upon the seal, so indicating the place at which the car or inclosure was sealed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In seal-locks, the combination, with a bow, of a frangible seal-plate connecting the ends thereof, and so closing the bow, and looking apparatus in one arm of said how engaging with the seal-plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In seal-locks, the combination of a bow carryinga block turning in only one direction, and a frangible seal-plate having a stop thereon against which said block is turned, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In seal-locks, the combination of a bow having grooves in one arm and ,a locking apparatus in the other arm, and a frangible sealplate having forked ends, one forked end slip ping into said grooves and the other passing over said locking apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. In seal-locks, the combination, with a bearing, of a rotating block fitting within said bearing and having a cam-face formed thereon, and a cylindrical pin engaging with said bearing and cam-face, substantially as and for the v EDUARD MEIsE.

Witnesses:

J AMES I. KAY, J. N. OooKE. 

